EU4Energy High-Level Policy Talk tackles clean energy development in Ukraine

On 8 September, EU4Energy Governance hosted online High Level Policy Talk on Clean Energy Development in Ukraine, organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine. The event focused on the challenges faced in the transposition of three key pieces of energy related environmental law, namely the Large Combustion Plants, Sulphur in Fuels and Fuel Quality Directives.

Participants, including Deputy Minister of Energy Maksym Nemchinov, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Ruslan Strilets, Director of the Energy Community Secretariat Janez Kopač, representatives of the European Commission and Verkhovna Rada, actively engaged in the discussions.

With the adoption of the National Emission Reduction Plan in 2017, work on the implementation of the Large Combustion Plants Directive started in Ukraine. The event participants heard from leading experts how this process continues to face challenges related to ensuring adequate financing for emissions abatement techniques, thus ensuring that the new technologies are environmentally safe and at the same time more efficient. Delays in the implementation seem obvious. Besides tightening emission regulations on fossil fuel-fired plants, Ukraine also has to significantly increase its share of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The transposition of the Fuel Quality Directive is obligatory under the EU – Ukraine Association Agreement, however, full harmonization of technical standards for fuel quality and better inspection systems are necessary in order for Ukraine to join the global movement to reduce emissions of various harmful pollutants into the air and improve transparency on the fuel market.

* The EU4Energy Initiative covers all EU support to improve energy supply, security and connectivity, as well as to promote energy efficiency and the use of renewables in the Eastern Partner countries Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine. It does this by financing projects and programmes that help to reform energy markets and to reduce national energy dependence and consumption. Over the longer term, this makes energy supply more reliable, transparent and affordable, thus reducing energy poverty and energy bills for both citizens and the private sector.